1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to closet organizers for the storing of articles of apparel such as shoes and clothing and, more particularly, to closet organizers that are hung from and supported by closet rods or similar cylindrical supports.
2. General Background of the Invention
Closet organizers for supporting and storing shoes and articles of clothing, and that are hung from a closet or similar cylindrical supports, have been known for quite some time. Today, such closet organizers are often collapsible to facilitate their transportation and storage when empty, having a body made of a fabric material and having shelving that is at least semi-rigid, sometimes made of fiberboard or a similar material.
Some prior art closet organizers, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,847,066, include a relatively limited number of fabric pockets, or partitions, with each pocket accepting a filler member such as cardboard and creating a plurality of fixed, identically-sized compartments. Such organizers do not provide any user selection of storage compartment height, and are relatively complex in construction, particularly with respect to the attachment of the individual top and bottom portions of each pocket to the fabric shell of the organizer Moreover, the pockets of such organizers may not firmly support the filler members or inserts, leading to compartment bottoms that may sag somewhat when loaded with articles of clothing, particularly heavier garments.
Other prior art closet organizers, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pub. No. 2005/0140253, include adjustable sized compartments, and removable shelves. Such organizers, however, are relatively complex in construction and relatively expensive to manufacture, as multiple locking strips are required to be attached to the organizer at each potential position that a shelf may be attached.